In 1922, Emily Post became a household name when her book, Etiquette, In Society, In Business, In Politics, and At Home, soared to the top of America’s bestseller list. Over the years, the work remained popular as her descendants updated it to fit changing times and social customs. Yet notably, some of the work’s foundational […]
How the Bible Shaped Manners Read Post »
Contrary to Kevin Drum’s blog at Mother Jones hospitals, at least historically speaking, are not secular institutions. In fact, the modern hospital system owes its existence to people of faith. Christians have been leaders in medicine and the building of hospitals because their founder, Jesus of Nazareth, healed the sick during his ministry on earth
The Christian Origins of Hospitals Read Post »
“The rape of the soul.” That’s how Roger Williams (1603-1683)—at one-time Baptist minister and founder of Rhode Island—described government intrusions into an individual’s religious conscience. In fact, Williams was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony because he had left the established church of the colony, believing, instead, that the sanctity of the human conscience demanded
Contraceptives and the Rape of the Soul Read Post »
In its December 2011 issue, National Geographic celebrated the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, noting the massive impact it has had on the English language (among other things). Consider the following: Most of us might think we have forgotten its words, but the King James Bible has sewn itself into the fabric of
The Bible’s Linguistic Influence Read Post »
Western civilization is indebted to the Judeo-Christian tradition for the ideas of human dignity and human rights, innovation in science and medicine, habits of humanitarian charity and universal education, and its rich contribution to the arts. As the prodigious Jewish scholar Jacob Neusner has written: “Religion has written much of the history of the West.”
The Bible + Culture: An Introduction Read Post »
Sigmund Freud felt contempt for his father, Jacob. After all, Jacob was weak and unable to provide for his family, relying instead on money from relatives. When persecuted for his Jewish heritage, the elder Freud allowed ruffians to knock his hat off and call him a “dirty Jew.” Jacob also was likely a sexual pervert
Atheism: The Faith of the Fatherless Read Post »
